I Looked Up Your Profile!

The next afternoon, Chimera got called in to the facility's front office, his father having called.

"H-Hayato, my son. I-I must warn you that students are coming for you. I c-cannot give any more details over the phone, only that I-I am certain you are not aware of-"

"What are you talking about? What happened?"

"-t-they arrived here and beat me for information, and i-in a bit of weakness, I-"

"-they know?"

A pause. Chimera repeated his question.

"I-I do not believe they are there to q-question you. You're as aware as I am that these conversations are recorded. I-I fear they will arrive soon."

Chimera hung up, and as he quickly went outside to check, he saw Matoi & Mia & Samuel & Marisa rushing towards him from the facility gates 500ft away. He first felt a slight tilt towards panic, then tried to recover himself. Yet he was aware that if he did not act now, it was likely to be the end of his professional career; he felt, dimly, that they may have been bluffing. But this did not cleanse his unease as they continued to run towards him. Fear and its army of consequent followers was upon him. He felt a wild urge to act, almost unconsciously against anything in his sight; it was this urge that he had as he ran back through the facility and rushed through every hall's door, claws growing as he sliced open every Revenant's vat, monstrous limbs&fins&arms growing from the still-beating hearts -

- and he didn't look back as he ran in to & through every room, Tamer's raptors growing as they rushed back to the front doors; he heard missiles and fabric swords behind as he came in to one hall he knew led to the back. One final room with three Revenants was ahead & right, and as he turned inside -

- there stood the scarabwoman with a burning blue blade on the other end, three vats behind her, thirty feet separating the two.

["Devil May Sly Extended". You'll need the extended.]

"How the fuck did you find out -" he panted -

" - we didn't." chimed Mia, relevantly -

- and she loved how his face filled with agony as a sweep of burning blue went through the vats, disintegrating them without a single ash left. She'd wanted to attack him for the disrespect before, and she'd enjoy killing the evil standing thirty feet ahead of her.

"Your father isn't harmed, either - but I'm sure his testimony is worth more than yours." laughed Mia, and in the next instant -

- the keen end of a spiked green tail burst through her back and out her chest; her scarabs froze it as she sputtered -

- but a swift thrash broke it free from its icy prison, more icicles trying to pierce it as it slithered out of the ghastly aperture -

- and a gust of wind blasted with the strength of a million through the wall -

- and another -

- and another, Chimera's wings growing as she flew out of the building, sword scraping against the ground as she flew -

" - Worldwide!" she shouted, scarabs freezing her wound & weapon -

- and stopping her midflight as she gripped the frozen pole and landed -

- and she swept back just in time to avoid amputation as a pincer burst out of the ground where she'd just been; a frozen spray erupted from her palm and hit it at the base -

- and froze it in to the ground; but it thrashed again, shattering through its icy prison again as it slithered back to its master -

" - Worldwide!" she shouted, spraying a jet of water after it and in to its former burrow, electrical scarabs following after the rabid beast -

- but sighed aghast at no apparent damage done to it, water filling the hole as it still kept slithering back. Another flash of ice scarabs froze it again, forcing itself to drag through the carpet of icicles on the way back. She saw the rubble she'd shattered through ahead, and in the next instant -

- Chimera's wings launched them with the strength of a million towards her -

- but a whirl of golden blade went through every last -

- but the embedded larva within sprayed web on to her face as they died; grunting with vision blinded, a puff of blue hit her face -

- and only melted the strands further, no disintegrating or a single ash until her electrical sword bashed her face and charred every last in to a black and limp string; ahead, she saw Chimera rushing out of the facility, wings launching as he tried to take flight -

" - Solar Beam!" she shouted, sweeping her palms above him; an orange beam erupted from her palms -

- and he dodged underneath just in time for the scorching ray to rip one of his wings clear off; as he fell, the remaining wing beat and a gust of wind hit the ground -

- and shot a fissure with the speed of sound towards her -

- and she froze it to a platform of ice just in time to dodge underneath the next three white fireballs breathed towards her, Chimera's maw growing but reverting back as he shouted.

"I checked your fucking profile, you know! I don't know - how you possibly FUCKING got national level threat in three years -"

- and she couldn't even respond, focus shoving her words down as she felt something leap at her from behind; with the speed of light she turned -

- and a whirl of her blade disintegrated Tamer's blue raptors behind to ash; as she spun back to face him, a spray of blue hit the asphalt -

- and started to disintegrate it. The ground started to rumble; a buffer of ice formed between her & he, his own side of the ground started to crumble and shudder on his side, more & more concrete disintegrating and the rest sucked in towards it; sudden footing lost, Chimera started to stumble as she aimed her palms forward -

- but the next scene was instant. Tamer's teeth and Tamer's claws grew as the ground collapsed -

- and underneath the ground he burrowed with the speed of sound, Mia losing sight of him as he disappeared, rest of the ground disappearing as she stepped back and away. She saw one blue fin peeking out of the ground and rushing towards her -

- but spun to see the enormous green fin behind, and in the next instant -

- an enormous shark burst out of the ground towards her -

- but a swift pillar of ice launched her up; and right through the barrier smashed the aquatic beast, one wing growing from it as it scraped against the ground -

- and a gust of wind blasted her with the strength of a million away & off her pillar; she turned her eyes back as she flew, wall that separated them from the rest of the city behind -

" - Worldwide!" she shouted, sweeping her blade back, slide of ice forming underneath as she flew -

- and launching her right into the wall, blade impaling through for her handhold as she landed, midair and hanging by two hands. With no time to waste, she swept with the speed of light left -

- just in time to avoid another enormous pincer bursting out and seeking her hanging legs; below, she heard Chimera shouting about scarabs and beetles -

- and the wall started to rumble. In the next instant, she leaped off her sword and away from the wall; a jet of water burst out of her hands and blasted her away, sword still embedded ahead -

- and an enormous scarab burst out of the wall and gripped her sword -

- but one miniature scarab burst her sword in to blue flames and disintegrated the would-be usurper without a single ash left as she landed on the ground again. Sword reappearing in her hands, she shoved it in to the ground -

- and nodded as she felt the area underneath freeze and turn to ice, knowing she might have to use it later. In the next instant -

- a dozen tendrils burst up out of the ground and around her, locking her in like a cage -

- but her own ice tentacles burst out of the ground and slashed through the twelve wardens; she felt the ground rumble and shoved her sword down -

- just in time for the burning blue blade to disintegrate the thirteenth that'd tried to impale her from below. With a sigh and a grunt, she realized she'd lost sight of Chimera, and in the next instant -

- her ice turned to water below; in to the enormous pool she fell, more & more water shoving her down as it formed an entire crater -

- bur her electricity claimed the entire pool as all the ground shattered around her. A tri-swarm raid flew down her throat and ensured her breath, ice forming goggles for her, seeing Chimera's waterserpent form vaguely on the other end -

- and shooting with the speed of sound towards her. She opened her mouth -

- and the next scene was instant. An orange beam erupted from her throat -

- and the scorching ray disintegrated through the water instantly, hundreds of gallons turning to steam in an instant and disappearing in the next; its favored habitat lost, Chimera flew past her as she fell back to the bottom of the pool -

- and a wall of ice burst up behind to block his spines shooting towards her -

- but she turned, realizing she'd lost sight of him again as her frozen barrier disappeared. She heard something screech, and in the next instant -

- an enormous Phoenix appeared over the pool and swept with the speed of sound over the crater -

- and dunking the entire area in to white flames; grunting and wincing, she rushed through the fire and the flames, single ice scarab healing her miniscule burns as she came up to the end of the pool. She heard something stomping behind, but she climbed as fast as she could up with her sword, sweeping up out of the fiery pit. She rushed ahead and to the wall separating them from the city before she turned again -

" - RAPID EVOLUTION!" she heard his bestial voice shout, and in the next instant -

- a beast the size of a skyscraper burst out of the pit, bull's hooves but standing on two legs, minotaur's head the size of a building. His hands dug in to the facility beside, and as he threw it towards her -

- she was almost grateful for the easy counter as her body burned blue; and in to the scorching woman disintegrated the projectile, building smashing and shattering clear through the wall behind, swift spray of blue disintegrating the rubble before it could land on her. In the next instant, she saw him starting to shrink again, hooves turning to orange claws and arms turning to phoenix wings, and in the next instant -

- he shot with the speed of the sun towards her -

- but her frozen blade cleaved clear through its right wing in a burst of orange gore -

- just in time for a hundred enormous spider strands to burst out of it -

- but shrink instantly as Chimera's body hit the road behind, scraping and rolling for hundreds & hundreds of feet down, shrinking back to humansize as she started her rush in pursuit, no time to waste as she came out to the street, cars&lampposts in their rightful places and lines of buildings beside. Ahead, a scorpion tail burst out of his back -

- and one lamppost fell beside her; she didn't look as a pillar of blue flames disintegrated it, scorpion stinger bursting out of the ground ahead. She saw Chimera stand with his chest caved in, wheel of spinning teeth inset near his heart; out of the ghastly aperture burst six enormous tentacles, and as they shot towards her -

- she made to block, sword raised ready -

- but another scorpion stinger burst up behind -

- and she spun just in time for its vicious thrust to impalle clear through her palm, trapping her grip to her sword as more cars were thrown at her from behind -

- but the next scene was instant. Grunting as she clashed, she swept to the side, scorpion still impaling her as one car flew towards her from her new-right -

- and a pillar of blue flame claimed the vehicle; in to purple flames it burst -

- and disintegrated the scorpion's tail without a single ash left, next blue flames disintegrating the cars themselves as she spun back to face Chimera, and as she swept her palms forward -

" - Solar Beam!" she shouted; a white beam erupted from her palms -

- and pierced clear through Chimera's left arm; a turtle shell formed over it, scars forming all over it as the white beam shot through it -

- and she saw with aghast eyes him sweep left just in time for the beam to disintegrate his left arm, not a single drop or vein left as a new scaled limb grew -

' - are you fucking kidding me -'

" - what - what the fuck is this?!" he shouted, new arm just as scarred as the last.

' - Solar Beam - fuck, my - I only have three scarabs left until they replenish -' she thought and winced, setting one of each in her blade. As Chimera staggered ahead, she rushed left and to one car, slashing through the gas tank and making her blade drip. Five white fireballs shot towards her -

- but a swift pane of ice blocked them in midair.

'Fire and electrical left.'

" - I know you're fucking depleted!" he shouted - " - is that why you - aren't using your fucking blue beam?!"

- and in the next instant, she saw his limbs growing gigantic again, body growing to an enormous gorilla's; two counters left, she started rushing back and on to the street, enormous arms hurtling the beast along at terrifying gait as she ran.

'Those hairs - its arms have ice on the end. It'll swallow my fire.' she thought as she turned; more cars were thrown towards her -

- but the next scene was instant. She blocked one blade-on -

- and ensured it flew to her right; as she blocked the next, she shoved it left as she blocked it, two cars on opposite ends of the street as she ran back & past them; behind, she felt Chimera pass between them -

" - Worldwide!" she shouted, final electrical scarab flying to the edge of its range -

- and the next scene was instant. An electrical arc formed between the two cars -

- and yanked them together with Chimera stuck in the middle -

- and the keen two two-ton projectiles smashed his chest's sides both ways; his hair formed armadillo's shells to block it -

- just in time for her burning purple blade to burst through his chest & out his back, having thrown it alongside her metal volley; as he gasped and sputtered, her blade appeared in her hands, standing between two buildings. In the next instant -

- three tentacles yanked one building in to her left; three tentacles yanked one in to her right -

- but a pillar of blue flame disintegrated the ground below; in to the sudden burrow she fell, buildings catching only air as they smashed together above, focusing on what she'd do next as she kept her tunnel going, spray of blue disintegrating and walls of ice supporting, her scarabs having replenished now. She felt the pressure lighten on the ground above, and in the next instant -

- a hundred spines burst out of the roof and right ahead of her -

- and she stopped just in time to avoid their touch, noting their spiked ends were red. A cloud of steam burst up ahead -

- and a dozen spikes grew to impale right through it, dating not nod as she realized. Quickly, an enormous cloud of steam claimed the entire arena -

- and she rushed left with a new tunnel as she heard the spines slashing wildly behind, motion setting them confused as she burrowed a new path, eyes sharp for when they might appear again. No time to waste, a puff of blue hit the roof -

- and disintegrated her exit back to the city; a cloud of steam went out -

- and a geyser of water launched her up and out of her burrow, unfamiliar but new avenue below as she flew up; turning her eyes, she saw one five-floor office building, walls of windows that another geyser of water launched her through, puff of blue disintegrating the glass as she landed on the second-floor. She had no sight of Chimera yet, but rushed as quick as she could across, city filled with screams and missiles around.

As she came up to the other end, she glanced down and saw Chimera on the road below, and in the next instant -

- the entire left half of the building exploded & shattered; sudden footing lost, she stumbled and crashed out of the window, Chimera turning to greet her below as a slide of ice brought her to ground-level, turning his back as spines grew out and shot out towards her -

- but the next scene was instant. A jet of water hit his midair spines and his back -

- and a single ice scarab froze it in midair, trapping him to his own spines as Mia landed safe, thirty feet separating them -

" - Tamer - Phoenix!" he shouted; a flash of orange light -

- and the Phoenix dove across the street again in an instant, landing and turning back to human just in time for Mia to sweep her palms forward -

" - Solar Beam!" she shouted; a white beam erupted from her palms and pierced Chimera's chest -

- and she swept back just in time to dodge a meteor seeking her head, enormous projectile swallowing her scorching ray as it crashed down -

' - what the fuck -'

- ahead, she saw Chimera's tail slice open another three meteors over his head, lightning bolts that weren't her own striking around him -

" - another fucking ability?!" she shouted, tornado winds starting up all around her, clouds swallowing all the fog above -

" - you think I can't handle this?!" shouted Chimera, and Mia didn't have time to think what he meant before his claws grew again, but in the next instant -

- an enormous icicle that wasn't her's pierced right through his head from above -

- but still shattered instantly as he tore it away, green fin growing and shark's teeth growing -

- and underneath the ground he burrowed again, Mia readying her last three scarabs again, meteors smashing through every building in the avenue, downpour worsening and entire road starting to flood. Hundreds and hundreds of gallon dropped out of the clouds -

- and plunged the entire avenue & she underneath the enormous pool of water. She set one electrical scarab for her breath or when he'd appear again, current sweeping her up, and in the next instant -

- Chimera burst out of the ground two hundred feet ahead & in to the pool -

- but she couldn't understand why he had a scorpion's tail and no fin; glancing back, she found no trick, and by the time her eyes went forward -

- he was a waterserpent again, tail sweeping and blasting shockwaves of water towards her, and as he rushed at her with the speed of light again -

- the next scene was instant. A single fire scarab erupted in to a wall of blue flame above -

- and disintegrated halfway between the pool of water; osmosis acting up, the currents sweeping her up rushed t refill the hole, diluting their speed & Chimera's as he still swam towards her -

- just in time for her to sweep aside and her blade to cleave right through his maw as he shot past -

- and a single icicle went all the way through him from the mouth down, blood spewing as he was ejected from the flood. Her scarabs had replenished. A fire swarm disintegrated the water -

- and she landed in the moist avenue just in time to disintegrate another twenty meteors seeking her head; she felt a gust of tornado wind right -

- and a concrete chunk smashed right through her left side; ahead, she saw a skyscraper fall on Chimera, claws slashing and fire breathing out of the rubble as he came out of the ruins ahead, eternal cars beside her but waterlogged.

" - R-Rapid - Rapid Evolution!" he panted; two enormous serpent heads burst out of his neck, and as three enormous globes of acid shot towards her -

- the next scene was instant. An electrical arc yanked one car to block it; a blue fireball of her own shot back, bursting in to purple flames as it flew through the vehicle -

- and swallowed only enough of the acid to avoid her body but not her right eye; she shrieked as she staggered blindly back, left eye wincing as she heard Chimera scream ahead. No option left, her palms swept forward again -

" - Solar Beam!" she shouted; a blind white beam erupted from her palms and pierced through Chimera's chest -

- and thousands & thousands of scars formed on his body, limbs bursting in to red flames -

- and white -

- and blue -

- and purple as he staggered weakly out of the scorching ray, limbs continually disintegrating as her aim swept to meet him -

" - R-Rapid - R-R-R-Rapid Evolution -" he panted, new limbs constantly forming but shattering before they'd even breathed, claws trying weakly to block more meteors raining on him -

- and Mia's left eye opened as her scorching ray turned orange, sweeping her aim to his heart again, Chimera's chest cracking and scars ripping his flesh off his blood -

" - T-Tamer - T-T-T-T-Tamer - " he gagged, beam turning red as he staggered and slumped against one corner -

- and the heated ray melted him to a puddle of gore & flesh in the next, still-beating heart barely left in the goo that'd been him.

With no time to waste, Mia started rushing towards it -

- but a thousand bolts still struck her, questions filling her head -

" - I n-need to p-protect this -" she winced, scooping up the still-beating heart, final ice scarab keeping it safe as she ran up what had been a street ten minutes ago. All around her were meteors striking & screaming, hail the size of cars smashing skyscrapers down, fissures cracking filled crimson. She turned in to one street -

- and saw the calamity end at the city limits up ahead; with no time to waste, she rushed as fast as she could down, running and staggering out of the city and in to the exit road, scarabs replenishing as she ran and ran -

- and turned once she was out of the destruction's ring, entire city destroyed behind, rubble & rain hiding it from sight -

" - what the fuck is -"

- and fear struck her as she realized the Revenant. "I - how - how the fuck could this be -"

- her tablet vibrated, and she took it quick, flicking her location on to share it with the others.

" - how the fuck could this be -"

" - Mia-Mia!" shouted a voice behind; Mia turned -

- and a woman of heat could barely stand Marisa's tackle, fashionista having ran too fast in to her, two wincing as they hit the ground. The two groaned as they stood, Matoi coming up from behind, Boudoir healing Mia's wounds and eye, some energy returning to her.

"Where's - where's Serena?" panted Mia -

" - we don't know." winced Marisa. "She - she was at the hotel, but -"

- Mia readied to rush back in; her phone vibrated -

(Serena) "I lost my tablet. :("

A picture of Samuel & Kate & Tiffany & Naomi & Serena & glazed-eye Fujishita, Avalanche's hand carrying the shards that'd been Serena's tablet.

The three laughed, Mia's worry fading.

(Mia) "It was destroyed? Are you alright?"

(Serena) "Yeah. Naomi grabbed it too hard when we ran out."

The three laughed as Matoi nodded. "Tell them to stay where they are - we'll come to them."

(Mia) "Stay where you are - we'll come to you."

(Serena) "Okay."

Marisa swung them around the city of destruction, and they met up outside a diner between Rockfield and an unaffected city. Mia remembered the disastrous weather on their second-year trip, as did Serena&Samuel once reminded. Mia called Timepact again.

"Look up -- look up Ryumi Egashira. Queen of Scarabs."

Makoto was on the other end. "Uh, that profile is locked up tighter than a nun's pussy. Try again."

"Akira?"

"Is it in recent searches?"

"Yes?"

"…Akira Kagume. Former employee of the Eastern League -"

"That's the one, yes. Look up its members. Find out whichever Revenant is control over weather."

"Gimme a minute." said Makoto.

While they waited, Serena called Yuruko to ensure she'd survived, as the extreme weather had affected Wilcook and a third city, Janetown.

"She's going to head here, now." said Serena, and the rest nodded.

"Ah, crap, I need to check with Julia." muttered Naomi, checking her phone.

(Naomi) "Hey, are you okay?"

(Julia) "Yeah, Yuruko drove out of it, we're just stuck in traffic. If it wasn't for the weather, I'd think the Pope was in town, or some other capitalist icon."

"Good." said Matoi. "Kate, Tiffany, Naomi - stay here if we find anything more."

"Would be nice if Akira just killed them again." whispered Samuel to Serena, and the two laughed.

"Serena and Mia - investigate Wilcook. Samuel and Marisa - they might still be in Rockfield. I'll investigate Janetown."

"You're going alone?" said Marisa and Matoi nodded. "Phew, 'cuz I didn't want to -"

- Matoi laughed - " - you could have at least -"

" - I'm sure it'll be fine -" chimed Naomi, Matoi's head still shaking.

"If it's control over weather - Wedding's missiles will deal with meteors, hail, earthquakes. I'll be immune to electricity."

"Right." nodded Kate. "Just - need to deal with the host, right? Is it -"

" - Makoto's back." said Mia, setting her on speaker. "Go ahead."

"Rita Kuznetsov -- Weatherwomam. Threat Level National, Revenant Meteorology, former employee of the Eastern League, deceased... Murdered by Magnus Egashira, after murdering his wife Ryumi…"

A sense of indignancy came over Mia and she did not like it.

"Control over weather. Tornadoes, meteors, lightning bolts, rain, earthquakes, hail, cats, dogs, all sorts of shit. Super long range. Can attack three areas at once, but she needed to be in one of them."

"The new host is in one of the cities, then?" said Mia.

"Yep."